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Costa Rica
Tailor-Made
Inescapable Costa Rica
16 days
Trip Snapshot
A trip through the unmissable regions of Costa Rica, you will travel this small country from coast to coast, starting in the Caribbean and little by little will make a quiet transition to the Pacific, during your trip you will get to know the Afro-Caribbean culture and its paradisiacal water beaches lined with palm trees and coconuts, you will explore an active volcano and relax in the hot springs, you will be amazed by the cloud forest from the top of the trees flying like birds, in Manuel Antonio prepare to laugh with the friendly and mischievous white-faced monkeys and finally be amazed by the great marine and terrestrial biodiversity that Costa Rica harbors in the wild Osa Peninsula. Are you ready?
Trip Type:Tailor-Made
Fully customized trips designed around your unique interests and needs.
Travel Theme:Explorer Trips
Go off the beaten path and dive into real, raw adventure.
Departure City:San José
End City:Juan Santamaría International Airport
Operated in:English / Spanish / French
Physical Difficulty:Average
Travel Styles: Kayak & Canoe · Rafting · Snorkeling/Diving · Indigenous culture · Hiking · Meet local people.
Things you will do
Tortuguero National Park: Boat tour in our little version of the Amazonas
Discover the cloud forest in an unusual way, from above with the zipline!
From the Arenal Volcano to the white sand beach of Manuel Antonio
Hike and Snorkel in the place that harbors the greatest amount of biodiversity on the planet
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Costa Rica
Meals
None
Accommodation
Hotel Presidente - San Jose, Costa Rica
Welcome to Costa Rica
Upon arrival at Juan Santamaría International Airport, our representative will be waiting for you in the departure area to hand you your travel itinerary and take you to your hotel where you will spend the first night.
Located in the heart of the city, a few meters from the Plaza de la Cultura or the National Theater, Hotel Presidente offers the opportunity to take a look around and have a refreshing rest after your long flight.
You can enjoy tapas and wine at the Azotea 7, accompanied by beautiful views of the city.
Day 2: Off to tortuguero
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Mawamba Lodge Tortuguero
Early in the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel and the journey will take you to Rio Danta Restaurant, where you will enjoy a continental breakfast.
You will then continue to the river port of Pavona, where you will be transferred to a motorboat, during the one-hour trip you will have the opportunity to see herons, sea birds, howler monkeys, iguanas, water turtles and with a little luck even an anteater.
Once at the lodge, you will enjoy a buffet lunch and then visit the small village of Tortuguero.
Day 3: Tortuguero: rainforest and canals
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Mawamba Lodge Tortuguero
The day starts very early in the Tropical Rainforest with the howling of monkeys and other residents of the rainforest looking for water, food, and the first rays of sunlight.
Tortuguero has an incredible biological variety that inhabits its rainforests, swamps, beaches, and lagoons. The beaches are a key nesting site for sea turtles, such as hawksbills, loggerheads, green and leatherback turtles. Manatees, caimans, and crocodiles live in the canals and the jungle is home to jaguars, monkeys, and three-toed sloths. And countless aquatic birds adorn the canals with their colors.
Today you will need binoculars, camera and sharpen your senses to discover and capture the best of the best of this wonder of nature.
In the morning enjoy a delicious breakfast, then at 9:30 am wait in the Lobby for the guide who will take you through the "El Manakin" trail and to the "Mawamba Park", a space of trails, gardens, butterfly gardens, ranches, and river turtle refuge.
In the afternoon, a tour of the Tortuguero canals and lagoon awaits you. You will be able to observe the animals napping.
Day 4: Caribbean feeling in Puerto Viejo
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation
Namuwoki Travel
After breakfast today you will return by boat to the river port and from there by shuttle bus to the lodge restaurant. Here you will enjoy lunch before picking up your rental car.
Now the adventure of "driving in Costa Rica" begins! Passing the port city of Limon, you will continue to Puerto Viejo, Route 32 will guide you on your journey, you will pass through villages whose main agricultural production is pineapple for export.
Three main rivers bathe these plains: Reventazón, Pacuare, and Chirripó.
When you arrive at Limón, after passing the terminals of the main seaports of the country in Moín, you will turn on Route 241 until you join Route 36 at the Banano River, from here, the sea will accompany you until you almost reach Puerto VIejo
Cahuita is one of the most beautiful beaches of Costa Rica in the Caribbean. After a relaxing day at the beach, get ready for a typical night and enjoy the sound of Reggae with a delicious fruit cocktail.
Day 5: Discovering the Caribbean: Cahuita - Puerto Viejo - Cocles - Manzanillo
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Namuwoki & Lodge
The Caribbean offers you countless activities, flavors, and colors; and you have to enjoy them.
Among the activities, you can do here is a list:
-Visit the Cahuita National Park
Visit the beaches of Cahuita: in addition to the white beach in the Cahuita National Park, there is a black beach with a great extension to walk and look for the best place to sunbathe.
Walking between Puerto Viejo - Cócles is wonderful and amazing. It is a scenery of beach surrounded by forest, and there is also a silk road that connects both towns. You can find several natural "pools" formed by the coral reefs that are exposed and enjoy the waves on a surfboard.
Visit the Gandoca - Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, where the combination of forest, beach, and sea landscapes, added to the local culture makes the site a paradisiacal place. It protects the habitat of endangered species such as the manatee and sea turtles. Its most important ecosystems are its yellow sand beaches and wetlands (swamps, lagoons, flooded forests, coral reefs, beds of marine plants, and algae). A voluntary fee is required to enter through the Manzanillo sector.
Day 6: From the Southern Caribbean to the Land of Volcanoes
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Miradas Arenal
After breakfast, you will continue your journey through beautiful Costa Rica, this time towards the northern zone. You will leave in the direction of Limon again on Route 36 until you connect with Route 32, which will take you back to the North Caribbean until you reach the Rio Frio crossing.
At this point, there are three recommended places to have lunch: "El Yugo de Mi Tata" with buffet style and very comfortable prices, "El Fogón de Lola" with traditional food and sweets, and "Rancho Robertos".
The scenery of pineapple plantations will accompany you a good part of the way, and if you pay attention little by little the Arenal Volcano will be more evident.
Generally known simply as La Fortuna, the town of La Fortuna de San Carlos is the entrance to the magnificent Arenal Volcano. La Fortuna de San Carlos is located in the province of Alajuela and connects the Arenal Volcano area with the cloud forest of Monteverde and Santa Elena and the northern lowlands of the country. La Fortuna, a charming and quiet town offers spectacular scenery of the Arenal, the most beautiful volcanoes of Costa Rica.
Day 7: Discovering the Lake Arenal!
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Miradas Arenal
The tour begins with your pickup from the hotel and continues to the peninsula section of Arenal National Park. Here begins a 1.5 km hike on an easy path that takes about an hour, during that time you will have an excellent view of Lake Arenal and the Tilaran Volcanic Mountains.
At the end of the hike, you will have the opportunity to climb up to the observation platform, about 12 meters high, for a close-up view of the volcano, your guide will give you interesting info about the history and the last eruption in 1968.
After that, you will start the boat trip on the huge lake, cruising along the shore and heading to islands to spot some animals. This is the ideal excursion to take scenic photos of the volcano and this unique area.
Day 8: From volcanoes to the evergreen forest
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Cala Lodge
After breakfast, the adventure continues. You will head towards Santa Elena, where you will enjoy the wonderful ecosystem of the evergreen cloud forest, the natural habitat of the quetzal, and a paradise where almost 80 years ago a group of Quakers decided to make our country their new home.
The route will take you to Lake Arenal, which you will circle. This is an artificial reservoir formed after the construction of a dam in 1979 taking advantage of the existence of a small lake of the same name. It is the key point on which is based the ambitious project of hydroelectric power generation in Costa Rica and currently produces electricity for much of the country.
You will continue on to Santa Elena. The scenery will be spectacular and you may encounter a family of coatis lurking along the roadside.
Monteverde is home to one of the rarest and most unique habitats on the planet, the cloud forest, and an amazing variety of flora and fauna.
Monteverde is different from other forests in Costa Rica, with a constant mist that looks like clouds and gives the area its name.
The high humidity in this place, at 1,600 meters above sea level, creates fog and provides a layer of clouds.
Enjoy your evening discovering the small and cozy center of Santa Elena.
Day 9: Suspension bridges above the clouds of Monteverde
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation
Cala Lodge
Today you will go high up, as you will take a walk "Above the Clouds", where you can admire the Monteverde cloud forest from the famous suspension bridges!
During the walk through the treetops of the Monteverde Cloud Forest, you will pass a system of safe suspension bridges with different lengths and heights.
During the walk, you can observe numerous inhabitants of the cloud forest and with a little luck even spot the famous bird of the gods, the quetzal.
In the end, a delicious lunch is waiting for you!!
Optionally, you can also book a canopy tour afterward.
Day 10: From the Cloud Forest to Manuel Antonio
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Espadilla Gardens Hotel
And now it's time for the marine-coastal ecosystems.
After an energizing breakfast, you will head towards Manuel Antonio.
The route will lead you to the southern coast, passing by the Tarcoles River, Herradura, Jacó, Parrita, Quepos, and finally Manuel Antonio.
This corner of the country offers four pristine beaches next to the green rainforest, with natural seawater pools with crustaceans, up to species of monkeys, and breathtaking panoramic views.
Manuel Antonio National Park is a spectacular vacation destination.
In addition, you will be able to enjoy a number of outdoor activities.
Day 11: Manuel Antonio National Park
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Espadilla Gardens Hotel
Good Morning after enjoying an energizing breakfast you will be picked up at your hotel to start your adventure to the Manuel Antonio National Park.
This national park is one of the most famous in our country due to its wide variety of flora and fauna, it has 3 different trails that go from flat to very steep.
On this tour a very knowledgeable nature guide will walk you through the Manuel Antonio National Park, explaining the mysteries of the rainforest, the trail you will take is flat and picturesque and loops through the park making your course about 2 miles long.
Throughout your hike your guide will stop and teach you about the park’s natural history, which includes exhaustive descriptions of animals and plants that can be observed during the hike, along the way, you can take pictures or just admire the view, one of the highlights of this tour is that Manuel Antonio hosts 3 of the 4 existing tropical primates (monkeys) living in Costa Rica.
Halfway through the hike, you will enjoy a leisure stop at the worldwide famous Third Beach. Once there you can rest on the beach or play with the waves, this stop is about 20 minutes.
Throughout the hike is common to see sloths, birds, and reptiles as well as admire orchids, butterflies, and tropical trees.
Your guides are equipped with Pentax and Swarovski telescopes, so you can observe wildlife and take pictures from a different perspective, once the tour is over transportation will be provided and you will be taken back to your hotel.
The Manuel Antonio National Park is closed on Thursdays
Day 12: Time to explore Drake Bay.
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Hotel Las Caletas Lodge
After breakfast, you will drive along route 34 south coast road until you reach the Las Vegas restaurant.
At this point you are going to park the car in a private parking lot and continue by boat along the Sierpe River, viewing mangrove wetlands and then finding your way to the sea until reaching your lodge.
You are going to arrive at Caletas Lodge before lunch and relax at your hotel or start exploring the surrounding areas.
Day 13: Corcovado National Park
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Hotel Las Caletas Lodge
After breakfast, you will be picked up by a boat that will transport you to Corcovado National Park.
Today you will visit the San Pedrillo station located in the center of the park, there are more possibilities to see animals such as tapirs, jaguars, monkeys, crocodiles, birds, among other exotic species.
This park is the most visited place in the area.
It is home to over 140 species of mammals, 120 species of reptiles, 6000 species of insects, and over 400 kinds of birds, besides, in this spectacular park, there are 500 species of trees and 150 species of orchids.
That is why the National Geographic Magazine called it the most biologically intense place on Earth.
Day 14: Caño Island underwater dream
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation
Hotel Las Caletas Lodge
Good Morning enjoy your breakfast and get ready for the adventure, today you are going to explore one the most famous underwater reef and corals.
Caño Island is an amazing marine biological reserve located 45 minutes from Agujitas, by boat. It is a peak of an underwater mountain of 300 hectares, however, the real beauty of Caño Island is not found on its land, but underwater, the reefs and waters around it are famous for snorkeling and offer diving at its best.
You will be able to see over 15 species of corals, huge schools of colorful fish, rays, sharks, morays, and turtles. It is also very common to see dolphins and whales.
For lunch, you will go to a stunning beach called San Josecito, where you will be able to do some hiking, more snorkeling or just relax or swim.
Day 15: Carara
Meals
Breakfast
Accommodation
Rancho Capulin
This morning you will drive to the Central Pacific region near Jacó. Once there, we recommend paying a visit to the Carara National Park, one of the newest national parks in Costa Rica (opened in 1998).
With a little luck, you will see monkeys, iguanas, anteaters, sloths, toucans, butterflies, or red macaws. The latter have their main nesting place in this national park.
Day 16: Goodbye and hasta pronto!
Meals
Breakfast
Good morning
After breakfast you will drive to the Adobe Rent Car offices where you will deliver your car, then a shuttle will take you from here to the Juan Santamaria International Airport.
On behalf of the whole Bella Aventura team we hope you enjoyed this trip, it was a pleasure to help you.
Have a safe flight
What's Included
- • Private Transfer from Juan Santamaria Airport to Hotel Presidente
- • Transfer by bus and boat San José - Tortuguero - Guápiles together with guests of the lodge
- • Rental Car: Mitsubishi ASX AT + Basic Cover, Smart-Trio PU: D 4 in Guapiles and DO: Rental Office
- • Shuttle Transfer from Rio Segundo Adobe Rent a Car office to Juan Santamaria Airport
- • Breakfast (15)
- • Lunch (7)
- • Dinner (5)
- • Tours in Tortuguero: Boat trip in the Canal, Rainforest hike and Visit the Village of Tortuguero
- • Boat tour in Arenal Lake and Guided visit to Arenal Volcano Peninsula Station Includes: Entrance, Gu
- • Hanging Bridges tour in Monteverde Includes: Transport and Lunch
- • Manuel Antonio National Park Excursion Includes: Transport, Guide, and Entrance
- • Corcovado National Park Excursion Includes: Transport, Guide, Entrance, and Lunch
- • Isla del Caño Snorkeling Tour Includes: Transport, Guide, Entrance, and Lunch
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Baboo CertifiedGood to know
-Arrival airport SJO Juan Santamaria.
-Costa Rica has two seasons: Dry Season: mid-January through April and July - August. Rainy Season starts in May through December, where October is the rainiest month.
-Bring an adapter for the plugs, from round to flat with two pins.
-Visa / MasterCard cards are accepted in almost all commerce
-This is a self-drive trip, you must present your valid driver's license, it is mandatory.
Entry Requirements During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Tourists can verify if they require entry with or without a visa at the following link: https://migracion.go.cr/Paginas/Visas.aspx.
In the framework of the pandemic, the following requirements were also established:
1. Complete the digital form called HEALTH PASS, available at https://salud.go.cr
The Health Pass can only be completed within 72 hours prior to arrival in the country. It must be accessed via updated browsers with the exception of Internet Explorer.
One form must be completed per person, including minors.
All tourists must complete the Health Pass.
2. Travel Policy
Tourists who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and individuals aged 18 and younger (even if unvaccinated) can enter the country without a travel policy. The last dose of the vaccine must have been applied at least 14 days prior to arrival in Costa Rica.
Unvaccinated individuals aged 18 and older or with unauthorized vaccines must purchase a travel policy that is valid for at least 5 days and covers accommodation and medical expenses in the event of COVID-19 infection.
International Policies
Tourists can select any international insurance company that meets the following requirements:
1. Valid during the entire stay in Costa Rica (coverage dates)
2. $50,000 for medical expenses, including COVID-19 infection
3. $2,000 for lodging expenses in the event of COVID-19 quarantine
Travelers must ask their insurance company for a certificate/letter in English or Spanish stating the following information:
1. Name of the individual traveling
2. Validity of the effective policy during the Costa Rica visit (travel dates)
3. Guaranteed coverage for medical expenses in the event of COVID-19 in Costa Rica, valued at least $50,000
4. Minimum coverage of $2,000 for lodging expenses for quarantine or trip interruption for this same amount
This certificate must specify that the policy covers COVID-19 and must be uploaded to the HEALTH PASS to be reviewed and approved by Costa Rican authorities.
IMPORTANT: Insurance cards are not accepted. The document must include the verification of the coverage mentioned.
★NEW
Save your spot with a 20% deposit and pay the balance 60 days before departure.